How to: Help teeth remineralize, strengthen

A 31-year-old female was looking for a conservative and economical way to make her smile ready for her wedding day within 3 months.

The patient was instructed to use a pea-sized amount of MI Paste on all teeth every night before sleep, applying the paste with her finger to evenly distribute the paste, taking care to expectorate any excess, but not rinse afterward.

The patient was allowed to reapply the paste in the day if convenient with no food or drink for 30 minutes afterward.

The patient’s bleaching shade was checked and she was provided with take-home bleaching trays and found to be lightened to A2.

Remineralization was accelerated by the pumice flour slurry in-office application just once. MI Paste also was applied in the office that day.

Our patient was very happy with the outcome of her case. Although some of the remineralizing was slow, it was a rewarding process in knowing not only did her teeth look esthetically better, but they were stronger.

AT A GLANCE
1. A 31-year-old female was looking for a conservative and economical way to make her smile ready for her wedding day within 3 months.

2. The patient was instructed to use a pea-sized amount of MI Paste on all teeth every night

before sleep, applying the paste with her finger to evenly distribute the paste, taking care to expectorate any excess, but not rinse afterward.

3. The patient was allowed to reapply the paste in the day if convenient with no food or drink for 30 minutes afterward.

4. The patient’s bleaching shade was checked and she was provided with take-home bleaching trays and found to be lightened to A2.

5. Remineralization was accelerated by the pumice flour slurry in-office application just once. MI Paste also was applied in the office that day.

6. Our patient was very happy with the outcome of her case. Although some of the remineralizing was slow, it was a rewarding process in knowing not only did her teeth look esthetically better, but they were stronger.

Although adding an additional step to a patient’s homecare can be a compliance hurdle to overcome, the results of remineralization are undeniably one of the most progressive preventive dentistry advancements dentistry has made. First and foremost, oral hygiene is the most basic foundation to build upon all phases of dentistry, and the patient’s education is key to this foundation. Increasing the patient’s awareness for healthy periodontal care encourages a clearer understanding of periodontal disease and its relation to whole body health.

The use of MI Paste with RECALDENT™* (CPP-ACP) empowers the patient to control and reverse incipient lesions. Furthermore, using MI Paste prior to bleaching not only helps desensitize teeth, but fortifies enamel resistance to further damage.

The benefits
MI Paste and MI Paste Plus™ from GC America offers clinicians and their patients a truly one-of-a-kind treatment within reach, naturally, safely and effectively.

MI Past is a milk derivative that strengthens teeth with tooth-replenishing calcium, phosphate and fluoride.

MI Paste isn’t a toothpaste—it’s a topical treatment crème that can be safely used several times daily.

MI Paste has a proven clinical success record for many indications including high caries risk, xerostomia, orthodontic, post-bleaching, oncology, pediatric and high plaque/special needs patients.

MI Paste and MI Paste Plus are available in five flavors: mint, strawberry, vanilla, tutti frutti and melon.

Case presentation
The 31-year-old female patient deeply appreciated our affordable and conservative treatment plan that gave her the healthy smile she desired for her wedding. Considering the patient’s financial situation, treatment was spaced out over three months. We designed the plan of action on April 20, 2010, and finished her case 11 days before her wedding.

We began one quadrant of root planing on April 21, 2010. Photos were taken on April 21, 2010, at the start of one quadrant of root planing. It had been 8 years since her last perio exam. Heavy subgingival calculus was noted. All lower right teeth were ultrasonically cleaned and hand-scaled (Fig. 1).

Root planing of the patient’s upper right quadrant was completed on May 4, 2010.

Root planing of the patient’s lower left was completed on May 10, 2010.

Final quadrant of root planing in the upper left was completed on May 11, 2010. The patient began using a Sonicare toothbrush and MI Paste at home. She was scheduled for a 3-month recall (Figs. 2 and 3).

Upper impressions for bleach trays were taken on May 13, 2010.
Bleach trays were delivered to the patient with the start shade noted to be A4.

The patient’s bleaching shade was checked on June 3, 2010. Her shade had lightened to A2. A photo was taken, and the patient was advised to continue to bleach (Fig. 4).

The patient’s bleaching shade lightened to A1 by June 29, 2010. A photo was taken. Preparations for an all-porcelain crown on tooth No. 10 were started. All anterior teeth were pumiced with flour pumice and MI Paste was applied. All rough surfaces on tooth Nos. 6-11 were smoothed (Fig. 5).

The porcelain crown was cemented on tooth No. 10 crown and resin was placed on tooth No. 9 on July 21, 2010.

The patient said she was very happy with the results, which were completed 11 days before her wedding (Fig. 6).